Paving the way for classical music in the digital age...

Dilettante Music

Context

Dilettantemusic.com is a social networking website aimed at supporting classical music. The site connects classical music lovers of all abilities from novice listeners to professional performers, and serves as a valuable meeting point between artists and audience. The site provides users with opportunities to share blogs and reviews, listen to music samples, purchase recordings and promote their events.

Mission and approach

Dilettante Music approached us as UK PR consultants in June 2009. Their site had launched in late 2007, but as the new kid on the block, had not yet established its identity in the classical music business. Our challenge was to firmly establish the site’s reputation in the UK and to raise its profile within the classical music industry. We tackled this task in several ways, securing extensive coverage in a variety of media, but also providing comprehensive consultancy on marketing strategies, event management and original content production.

Achievements

Press & PR
  • Secured a constant flow of coverage over the past ten months
  • Feature on BBC World News
  • Interview on BBC Radio 3’s Music Matters
  • Previews and reviews in The Daily Telegraph
  • Features in Gramophone Magazine and online with BBC Music Magazine and MUSO as well as numerous high-profile blogs
  • Features and reviews on Music Ally and The Music Void
Original content production
  • Introduced a daily proms spotlight for the duration of the 2009 BBC Proms – a voluntary, informal Q&A for which we approached and secured artists; including Lang Lang, Joyce Di Donato, Nicola Benedetti and Alison Balsom
  • Contacted participants for the celebrity playlist series, including Bryn Terfel, Hayley Westenra, Karl Jenkins, Joyce DiDonato and editors of popular classical music publications such as BBC Music Magazine
Event management and promotion
  • Secured Charles Hazlewood as host for the Digital Composer-in-Residence concert
  • Invited top critics and industry representatives to a VIP reception

After great success with Dilettante in 2009, we are continuing our partnership in 2010.